Shine Restaurant & Gathering Place

I popped in for a quick meal and was excited to finally be in a 100% gluten-​free facility that went beyond the vegan juice bar. It was a quiet afternoon and the server was able to coax the kitchen staff to let me order off the dinner menu 45 minutes early. I went for the lamb fettuccine — paleo, to boot!
The pasta itself was divine — toothy, yet tender just as I recall regular pasta to be. The pesto sauce was, I believe, coconut based — there was that special flavor of either coconut milk or perhaps oxidized almond flour from the pasta, but I am pretty sure it is canned coconut milk I was tasting. It was a mild distraction and did overpower the pesto (which was mild in flavor). The lamb confit on top was very salty, but when mixed in with the pasta it hid the coconut milk flavor and the fettuccine mellowed out the lamb. While I would not order this dish again, it was still edible. It just needs some work.
I also had the probiotic slaw starter which was OFF THE HOOK and makes me want to turn my kitchen into a fermenting factory. 4 varieties of slaw; a traditional with earthy caraway, a kim chee style (mild) a fermented beet slaw and a second cabbage slaw. These are a true delight and a great way to start the evening.
Service was great and the atmosphere was enjoyable. I look forward to returning and trying other menu items to see how they are, as well as enjoying something tasty from the bar.
If I can get my keister out of bed brunch also looks fabulous!

My meal was fine, I had the lamb meatballs that were tasty enough and satisfying portion-​wise for an appetizer. The deserts were purely awful though! I know we can’t expect much from a gluten-​free establishment but please let us know if the «ice cream» is actually coconut-​based and not mint chocolate chip in the slightest. Cupcakes were dry and sawdusty. Our server was good, personable, so he gets a star as well. The restaurant was also very cold.

This place truly has my heart! The food is absolutely delicious, devotedly ethicarian and local, and crafted intentionally and thoughtfully with such care for individual health and the well-​being of our planet. Even the beer is actually good for you! And the potions are magical and unlike anything you can get elsewhere.
I’ve been blessed to know the blissful sisters, to have long conversations with their original potion maker, to understand deeply how the menu is created, and to see what this space has become within our community. I can’t imagine Boulder without Shine.
For those of us with serious health and allergy concerns, this is a very special haven. But I would recommend this wonderful restaurant for anyone who enjoys really great food in a beautiful environment with always pleasant and kind service. Look for awesome music nights, special events, dance parties, and special happenings too.
I recommend everything — try it all! I haven’t had a single thing I didn’t enjoy. You will never know it’s all gluten free… it’s just that good. I visit often, and recommend this place to everyone. The happy hour is fabulous and the group table is big enough for all of your friends.
Cheers to all… and may you always shine most brightly from within.

I was super happy to find out that they will sell the rolls they make! I buy them by the dozen and keep in my freezer. They are so good for hamburgers or sandwiches! If you do want to get the rolls I always call ahead of time to make sure they have enough to sell me.

Easy location from the Pearl Street Mall, located near other great places if you want to do some hopping.
I am with the Down Dog IPA. Hands down.
This gem has the gluten-​free options to choose from, with the fresh ingredients and meat sourcing and selection you would hope for from a Boulder establishment.
It has some outdoor seating. The main seating room has bar seating, a series of high top chairs, and low tables along with some booths.
This place hosts live music among other events. I hear they throw great parties and I want to check one out.
The brewer is on point and these sisters have the right idea with the place they are sharing with the community.

A lot of people come here for the healthy options, the gluten-​free stuff, or the potions. I don’t care about any of that stuff. I think the food here is way too expensive, and I would rarely order it (although it has improved a lot since they first opened, when the ingredients almost never matched the menu descriptions).
No, I come here for the beer and the people, including the bartenders who are among the friendliest you’ll find in Boulder and the crowd which thankfully (yet somehow inadvertently) excludes college students.
But really it’s the beer. With West Flanders a promising idea that’s a catastrophe in practice, and Walnut Brewery now the weakest link in the Rock Bottom chain, Shine is literally the only downtown brewpub that’s worth visiting. I especially recommend their imperials.
If you do order food, their happy hour specials (which run until 6:30 pm) are generally pretty good, and I recommend the flatbread with lamb sausage if you want some good food without spending too much.
Another real treat is that they don’t have any TVs. I know, amazing! It’s a welcome refuge on «game night» when you don’t feel like listening to announcers and commercials.
In general, Shine is a good place to be if you’re over 30 or at least know anyone who’s over 30. If not, please go EVERYWHERE ELSE IN BOULDER.

This spot was selected for our group lunch b/​c one of my colleagues is on a gluten-​free diet. According to their website, their food is «paleo, vegan and vegetarian, farm-​to-​table comfort food made in a 100% gluten-​free and GMO-​free kitchen.»
Food is interesting, healthy, reasonably priced; service is friendly; atmosphere feels … hippie-​ish :)
OWL EYES POTION
Guess they are known for their potions? Most of our table got the Owl Eyes Potion — I ordered it too b/​c it’s supposedly «uplifting» and I needed the extra energy. It had lemon juice, ginger root, Yerba mate, Asian ginseng, Nettle leaf, Eleuthero root, Astragalus, cinnamon, Maca, nutmeg, vanilla beans, liquid chlorophyll, apple juice, honey. I expected the drink to have a stronger flavor, and I don’t think I got the promised boost — still I did feel better ordering that vs my regular water :)
BEET HUMMUS — $ 8
I’m a beets and hummus fan so I liked the unusual flavor of this one. It clearly had the appearance of beets but I don’t know if i could pick out beets in a blind taste test. Also came w/​house sprouted quinoa tobouli, housemade flat bread & flax crackers. I’d order it again :)
LOCAL MUSHROOM BISQUE — $ 7
I would’ve preferred a smaller bowl — very creamy … menu said «with cashew cream» so at least it was a healthy creamy :) Thought the soup was just ok.
CHOPPED RED CABBAGE SALAD — $ 10.50 + $ 4.50 for local chicken
Loved my salad a lot — chopped red cabbage, shaved carrots and broccoli, with candied mushrooms in a Tamari & lemongrass vinaigrette and chopped cashews. Thought they’d mix the chicken w/​the salad but it was served on the side — still good though. Felt very healthy and satisfied afterwards :)
CAULIFLOWER MASHERS — $ 5.75
Sampled the mashed cauliflower — yum, I’d order this as my side b/​c where else can you can get this?
Overall 4 stars for the unique menu selections. I’d like to try their other salads if I ever visit Boulder again.

The only reason I gave this place a one star is because Unilocal didn’t have a zero to select.
If this is ‘elevated’ food and drink — then their sense of elevation has reached a ‘bottomless pit’ fantasy.

Food — 1 star
Service — 1 star
Atmosphere — 4 stars
I wanted to love this place because of their level of conciousness for ingredients. But the service was really bad… and the food was poorly prepared. I had the coconut curry with tempeh. Very bland flavor all around. My 7 other friends were also disappointed in the food and service. And it was very expensive.

We loved this place so much we came back before leaving town.
Service was great, food was delicious, vibe was low-​key comfortable Boulder-​the-​way-​I-​remember…
Those sweet potato fries. Seriously. All other sweet potato fries are inferior.
We really liked the huge variety of drinks — alcoholic and not. So different and fun!
One of my pancakes was burned but I don’t even care. If I lived in Boulder we’d probably go here every day.

The food and atmosphere was amazing, locally sourced 85% organic menu, incredible «potions» derived from herbs, teas and flower essences.
The service definitely needs work which is why I gave four stars and not five. The hostess disappeared for quite awhile and left us standing there and at the time there were many tables open so it was not busy enough for her to disappear. The waitress was very sweet and acknowledged and apologized for her slow service but could not stop talking about how busy she was and complaining about other customers. Had the service been a bit more professional you would have received five stars.
Overall, love the philosophy and love the food! Thank you!

Fantastic food — service wasn’t great. It’s awesome having an entirely gluten-​free kitchen, so I don’t have to worry about cross contamination. They also have great sandwich options, which you can’t normally get gluten free (at least good ones!) My brother loved the sandwich with cheddar, avocado, and slow roasted tomatoes — loved it. We both drooled over the sweet potato fries, they were so tasty! I had the arugula salad with dates and bacon, also great.

Shine is one of the best-​sourced food places in Boulder. They are highly committed to providing local, organic, non GMO foods to the community, and hey do it with a bang.
I recommend ANYTHING with their lamb– pair it with the seasonal vegetables or gluten-​free Mac and cheese or have their braised lamb fettuccine. DIVINE. And then pair all of that wih the Shine Aphrodisiac Ling Elixer. Yum!

Shine has so many gluten free options! I explained my inability to choose just one item to my waitress and she told me to just get a half order of each. My kind of girl. Fast service, good food, fun space. Wonderful brunch spot.

I have mixed feelings as I write this review. On one hand the venue offers cool DJs and has hosted lots of great events (Om collection fashion show, hummus show down, burlesque, and hooppy hour).
As noted in other reviews it can be a bear to order/​receive libations from the bar. In the past I’ve ordered drinks for friends only to find that I receive a different charge then they do. It’s never comfortable to tell your friend «oh your drink was $ 9» only to have them say «that’s not what they charge me» — maying pay up time frustrating. I actually took a hiatus from this venue for a while after that happened.
Yesterday I brought my parents and best friends out for dinner to this venue (previously I’d only had the vegan cheesecake which was surprisingly good). We were greeted by the charming hostess Sabrina who was not only happy to put our names down for a table (so we could relax outside while we waited for my bestie) but provided my folks with a warm welcome when she heard they were visiting from New England.
As promised our table was ready when we arrived and it wasn’t too long before a waitress came to greet us. After having spoken with the staff the previous weekend (they had a booth at the Hanuman Yoga Festival) I anticipated being able to eat a variety of foods while still working within my current food restrictions (sadly this was not the case).
The waitress was happy to bring the list of ingredients for the mushroom bisque and I was disheartened that I was not able to eat it. She then said they had a watermelon gazpacho soup which I should definitely be able to eat. It sure was beautiful when it arrived. While pink it sure looked like watermelon but for some strange reason half my table felt it tasted like fish (I abhor seafood that tastes like seafood). Come to find out it contained no seafood and was made with watermelon beets. Since my parents were paying I gobbled it down while trying not to think about how it tasted.
My Dad ordered the chicken tacos. Again the presentation was beautiful however my Dad was soon requesting hot sauce (his queue to us that it was either not very flavorful or he didn’t like it). Either way I didn’t find out until we got home that on his first bite he had found a hair in his food (had he shared this at the restaurant my Mom probably would have declined eating her mac n cheese).
My bestie ordered the Shine House-​Made Coconut Curry and boy did it look beautiful. She seemed to like it enough to eat most of it but a few bites in and she proclaimed she was sad she had foregone the meat as it would have added some flavor.
My Mom was happy with her little mac n cheese but vetoed drinking anything from the restaurant when she noticed her water glass had a lipstick mark (she wore no lipstick on this day).
Overall I was underwhelmed with my food experience which made me very sad. This was a special dinner for my family as it is the last time my parents will see my bestie before she moves back to Europe.
I will most likely return again for an event or two but will think twice before organizing another dinner outing.

This place is advertised as the healthiest food spot in Boulder but they do offer «less healthy» stuff like ribs and fried shrimp.
Thai coconut shrimp 10
Probiotic slaw sampler 8
Lemon honey martini 8 (?)
Elixir and potions were other optional drinks that had no alcohol. Optional to add alcohol for $ 6 for the potion.
Thong song peaches and cream along with other nostalgic songs played from 8 – 10 because it was hip hop night in the back room.
Slaw: 1 tasted like beets, 1 like kim chi, 1 like pickled ginger, 1 like sour kraut. Ok tasting but better with a side of meat or something. Coconut shrimp was subpar to the ones at red lobster or rain forest café. They were very crunch however but the meat inside looked all white like processed mashed up shrimp.

Ultimately, I’d say my time at Shine was okay.
We kicked off our dining experience with the beet hummus. The appetizer seemed to rely solely on the natural taste of the beet because it was ultimately so very, very bland. The flax seed crackers were fantastic and paired well, but the flatbread only served to make the hummus even more boring.
I ordered the mushroom bisque with cashew cream. All around, this was a solid dish. Nothing terribly complex, but definitely a satisfying and hearty flavor. My dining companion opted for the napa cabbage and seaweed salad, which seemed to be a hit.
Service was generally okay. The restaurant was about half full while we were there, but nothing came out with any expediency. The ambiance worked well with the ideology behind their food, and I regret not going whole hog and opting for an elixir. Instead, I stuck with their pale ale. It’s hard to compete with so many awesome breweries in Boulder, and this one was sadly forgettable.
I might be inclined to go back — and wouldn’t discourage anyone from giving Shine a try. But ultimately, there’s better options elsewhere in Boulder.

We had very poor service on this visit. We sat at the bar for almost 10 minutes while bartenders/​servers, etc. studiously avoided making eye contact. Granted, they appeared fairly busy. The place was only half full, and I gathered that some large parties had recently left. The focus seemed to be on looking busy and dealing with dirty glasses and dishes (many of which littered the bar). However, receiving even basic acknowledgement (even a «we will be right with you» or a glass of water) would have gone a long way towards not pissing me off. We did finally get a bartender to help us. He was friendly, but distracted, and we never did get the waters that we ordered to go with our beers.
The beer itself was rather meh. Most everything was rather hoppy, even things that are not usually so. We tried about six beers and nothing was especially tasty. The bar-​stools resembled medieval torture devices, only considerably more rickety. They were about as comfortable as sitting on a rounded gate from a picket fence. With service, amenities, and brews like these, I think two stars is somewhat generous.

My Boy Eric hooked me up with a recommendation to stop in at his wife’s restaurant and it was amazing!!!
Started off with a local Cap Rock gin that was right for the night. Kicked off dinner with local Lamb spiced meatballs in a nice light marinara. Done just right with some nice chunky veggies inside.
For dinner I had the Local Crispy Chicken Confit. What I expected but what topped it was the amazing cauliflower mash as well as the Swiss Chard side reduced with crispy bacon.
To wrap it up I had the Vegan Maple Chocolate Moose and it was a great light option for the night.
Emily was the gal behind the bar and her recommendations were all spot on! Thx Eric for the unbiased recommendation.

Healthy-​check
Good food-​check
Gluten free-​check
Vegetarian options-​check
Interesting décor-​check
Potions-​check
Worth and experience– YES!
So I wandered into this place looking for good food… it was also starting to rain and subsequently thunder storm… but I’m so glad I did.
First I am not a vegetarian nor need to eat gluten free. And usually most gluten free food I’ve tried has not been to my liking. This place changed mind! I had the burger on a GF bun with a side salad. Had I not know it was a GF bun I would never have guessed. It was wonderful. Salad was very good too!
Now I mentioned potions… all I can say is they are unique and interesting and many people seemed to like them. Not me, not that brave…
I will come back for the food though. Vegetarian, GF, whatever– good food is good food.